Give It Time
by SweetMemories1998
Summary: After being rejected by Gray, Juvia finds herself alone in the gardens, that is, until the most unexpected person shows up. After Sting somehow manages to comfort her, they end up having a deep conversation about the people they love and how they've hurt them. Will they ever be happy? (Gruvia and Stingyu Angst) (Juvia x Sting friendship) (Grand Magic Games) (Two-Shot)
1. Forgive Me

**Good evening, everyone, how are you all doing?** **Well I've had quite a busy week, been writing nonstop since Monday.**

 **I don't know exactly what happened, but last Sunday I couldn't sleep so I decided to work on my writing and suddenly I came up with this crazy plan for this week. It was insane and I was so sure that I wouldn't be able to pull it off, but somehow, I did.**

 **In only 5 days, I have managed to write 5 chapters, 3 for a short story of mine and 2 for this one. So I am very proud of myself.**

 **In any case, this two-shot is meant to be an anniversary present for my friend, _ship-ambrosia_ , who is also a writer** **and my Soupmate (you know what I'm talking about).**

 **I advise everyone to check out her Tumblr page and her stories on AO3, they are great!** **She has also been a constant help over the past few months; I doubt I would've** **managed to write as many chapters of Demons without her constant praise and support. So if you like my stories, you should be thanking her for helping me write them as best as I can.**

 **Anyways, today, _June 2nd,_ marks two months since the day we met and we decided to celebrate. As a gift, I wrote this two-shot about one of her favorites Fairy Tail ships: Sting and Yukino, or Stingyu.**

 **I also adore this couple and think they are rather underrated and forgotten, so I was happy to write about them. Also, since my newest motto is that "every story needs some Gruvia", I chose to add them as well.**

 **Sorry about my rambling, I got carried away.**

 **I hope you'll enjoy this story! Don't forget to review, follow and favorite.**

* * *

Demi Lovato-Give Your Heart A Break

Don't wanna break your heart

Wanna give your heart a break

I know you're scared, it's wrong

Like you might make a mistake

There's just one life to live

And theres no time to wait, to wait

So let me give your heart a break

* * *

It was the night of the Grand Ball, and everyone was happily celebrating their victory against the worst threat humankind had ever faced. The palace was filled with all the wizards who had participated in the Games as they drank, danced and chatted.

By the main door, Gray Fullbuster from Fairy Tail was happily eating chicken wings when he heard the familiar voice and his body immediately tensed.

"Gray, my darling, I'm so glad I've found you." He turned to stare at Juvia Lockser and his eyes immediately widened. She had ditched her usual outfit consisting of a dark blue coat, long skirt with a slit on the left side and brown boots for a beautiful light blue gown that exposed enough cleavage to make him blush.

"Wh…what?" He stuttered and she stared at him in confusion.

"Are you alright?" Shaking his head, Gray tried to return some composure before coughing a few times.

"Yeah, I'm fine." She didn't seem to believe him, but he turned his back once again, focusing instead on the large plate of food on the table.

He hoped she would understand that he didn't wish for her company, but it seemed like she didn't because next thing he knew she was joining him by the table and getting a plate for herself.

"What are you doing?" He asked and she smiled.

"The food looks delicious, have you tried these chicken wings?" He opened and closed his mouth, but nothing came out.

She was so close. Too close for comfort. He started panicking as memories of that fateful night a few days before reminded him why he had been avoiding her ever since.

"Can't you go eat with someone else?" Gray hoped she wouldn't notice the shakiness of his voice.

"Is something wrong?" Juvia asked, worry filling her eyes as she turned to stare at him. Her arm brushed his in the process and he flinched as it reminded him of the last time she had touched him; when they had hugged that night after he was miraculously returned to life.

"Just…I don't want you here." He attempted to lie, but it didn't sound convincing. He knew what he wanted, what his heart wanted. But he couldn't, not when it would only put her in danger.

"Oh. Why? Did I do something wrong?" Those beautiful blue eyes were staring into his and he could tell she was trying to hold back tears.

He knew it must be hurting her; having him constantly ignore and avoid her, but he couldn't be with her. Having her so close like that made his brain forget why he'd kept his distance in the first place and he couldn't allow himself to forget. He needed to remember, so that he could keep her safe.

"For Mavis' sake, Juvia! Can't you ever stop annoying me?" Gray hated himself for yelling at her the moment the tears appeared, but it had to be done.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean…" They were vaguely aware that many people had stopped what they were doing and stared with interest towards the couple.

"Just stay the hell away from me! How hard is it for you to understand?" He continued, feeling his heart breaking even more when she sniffled.

"I'm sorry. I'll go now." With one last longing look, she turned on her heel and ran, holding onto her dress. As he watched her cross through the palace doors, Gray let out a breath he didn't even realize he'd been holding.

He had done it. It had been harder than he would ever imagine, but he had managed to send her away. It was supposed to make him relieved, knowing she would be safe, so why did it feel like he had lost his last chance at happiness?

* * *

 _A few minutes later…_

While Erza took Gray outside so that they could have a chat about his behavior, the drama continued as Lucy and Mirajane entered the palace with Yukino in toll. The latter had been a member of Sabertooth until her loss on the second day of battles; after that she was brutally humiliated by the previous master and even forced to erase her guild mark.

Needless to say, she wasn't too happy to be in the same room as her old guild mates, which was proven by her reaction as soon as she spotted Sting, who was toasting with Gajeel.

"I don't think I can do this right now." Hearing her voice, the blonde turned to look at her and his eyes widened.

"Yukino?" Rogue asked, looking just as shocked to see her there.

"Wait!" Sting called once she turned around and began walking away, not even offering him a glance. He knew she was hurt, knew that it was his fault, but all he wanted was to make things right. "Please, stick around for a little while at least."

"Why should I?" She whispered, stopping. Her back remained turned, though.

"Look, I'm sorry for the way we treated you. For the way _I_ treated you." Her body tensed as both remembered secrets they had kept.

* * *

 _1 week before the Games…_

 _"I'm glad you're joining us, Yukino." He told her sincerely while he was helping her pack for their journey to Crocus. It had been Rogue's idea for the two of them to help her, but for some reason the shadow dragon slayer hadn't come._

 _"Are you really?" The celestial spirit mage was surprised, thinking he would've preferred if Minerva was participating since she could secure a win for their guild._

 _"Of course. I know you're a lot stronger than you look." He told her, shrugging._

 _"Thank you." A genuine smile came upon her face, but it soon vanished once she picked a familiar scarf from the drawer._

 _"What's wrong?" Sting stood up from her bed and walked up to her._

 _"This belongs to my sister." Yukino replied, sighing._

 _"Your sister?" He asked, curious._

 _"It's nothing." She quickly placed the scarf back into the drawer and stepped away._

 _"Doesn't seem like nothing." Sting said, raising a brow._

 _"I don't want to talk about it." She sighed and he stepped closer to her._

 _"Hey, it's okay if you don't want to talk about it." He reassured her, placing a hand on her shoulder. "But I can see that it makes you upset and maybe talking to someone would help."_

 _"Why are you doing this?" He was caught off guard by her response._

 _"What do you mean?" Sting was genuinely confused._

 _"You're being so nice and…reassuring. That's not like you." That was a little offensive, but he brushed it off._

 _"So I can't be nice?" He raised a brow once again._

 _"I'm just saying, that's not the way our guild works. So you don't have to pretend to be nice for whatever reason you're doing it, okay?" She turned her back, not wanting to see his face. He was completely stupefied for a moment before bursting into laughter._

 _"Do you seriously think I have some ulterior motive here?" Yukino remained silent._

 _"Just go." Suddenly she didn't want him to be there anymore._

 _"Not happening." He shook his head before approaching her and placing a hand on her shoulder. "I'm not leaving with you mad at me."_

 _"Why do you suddenly care?" She finally turned around and snapped._

 _"What?" Angry hazel eyes stared into his._

 _"You never tried to be friendly to me before, so why now? What changed?" He swallowed hard, avoiding her eyes._

 _"I don't know." It was a lie, he knew exactly what it was. But he didn't know how to tell her. Being a member of Sabertooth didn't exactly give him much insight when it came to emotions._

 _"Well, I can't deal with this right now." She was already overwhelmed with the news that her sister was still alive and trying to become strong enough to make her guild proud during the Games. The last thing she needed was this strange attitude coming from him._

 _"So, please, just go." When he looked back into her eyes, something changed. He saw the tears she was trying to hold back, the stress that had clearly taken its toll on her. He wanted to comfort her, make her feel better, but he didn't know how._

 _Or maybe, he knew, because soon enough he was closing the distance between them; an arm wrapping around her waist and bringing her closer. "Sting, what are you…" The question died on her lips when he grabbed the back of her head and crashed his lips onto hers._

* * *

Their kiss that day was soon interrupted by the arrival of Rogue and they never spoke of it again. They agreed to pretend like it had never happened, and it had worked. Until Yukino had brought it up during an argument on the night she was kicked out of the Sabertooth.

She remembered clearly; how he had told her that it had meant nothing and how she meant nothing after she had let Sabertooth down. Even though he hadn't meant it, his words had hurt her and she didn't think anything could fix it.

"It's too late to make amends now." She whispered while trying to hold back tears of pain, anger, regret.

"It doesn't have to be." Rogue said, taking a step forward, but Sting shook his head.

"I know I hurt you, but you need to understand that I've changed. I'm trying to be better and to make Sabertooth a better guild because the way we were, it was wrong." This time she finally turned around and there was a small smile on her face.

"I'm glad to see you're trying, and I wish you the best of luck with that." She paused, before delivering the final words that made him lose hope."But it's not enough to erase what you did to me."

"I'm sorry, Yukino. I really am." He was being sincere, she could tell. But it wasn't enough, so she simply nodded before walking away.

* * *

As soon as the door closed behind her, Rogue turned to Sting with determination. "You need to fix this."

"I don't think I can." The blonde admitted, sighing in defeat.

"You won't know until you try." The dark haired man warned.

"Rogue is right. You should try more." Lucy's soft voice was heard.

"Didn't you just hear her? It's too late." The pain in Sting's voice was clear.

"She only said that because she's hurt." This time it was Mirajane, who gave him a reassuring look. "I'm sure that she's willing to forgive you; you just need to show her that you deserve it."

"Alright." He believed her, so he decided to try. Even if Yukino might never forgive him, he needed to at least tell her the truth about how he felt. Needed to let her know that, despite everything he had said, she meant a lot to him.

"If you'll excuse me." With that said, he nodded in the two girls' direction before handing his glass to Rogue and marching through the door, attempting to ignore the stares coming from everyone.

Once he was outside, he rested against the door for a moment and sighed. This wouldn't be easy.

Sting started walking around, letting his dragon slayer nose guide him towards Yukino. It led him towards the palace gardens and he took a few moments to appreciate its beauty. The trees were fresh and green and the light breeze making them sway, almost as if they were alive. It was truly breathtaking.

After only a few steps into the maze, he heard it. Someone was crying; a girl. The old Sting wouldn't have cared at all, but he knew that he couldn't just ignore this. "Damn it! What do I do now?"

* * *

 **So, what do you think?**

 **Did I do justice for the characters? How do you think this will end?  
**

 **Next chapter we'll have the Sting x Juvia talk and then a major Gruvia scene I think you'll like.**

 **Can we try 3 reviews by Tuesday for chapter 2?**

 **Have a great day, everyone!**


	2. Don't Deserve You

**Good afternoon, everyone.**

 **First I'd like to thank everyone who reviewed chapter 1 of this story; I am so happy that you enjoyed reading about a different couple like Stingyu. I might write about them in the future, since they're quickly becoming one of my OTP's.**

 **Anyways, let me reply to your comments so that we can get on with the chapter:**

 **Star197** : **After writing this, I love them too. It's like the perfect friendship I never knew I needed. I just loved thinking about how their conversation would go and am very proud of the result!**

 **KassfromVenus : I'm glad you liked it. **

**IrishDreamer4 : So happy you loved it! It was like an experiment, so it was nice to receive a positive response. It makes me confident to write about Sting x Yukino in the future. **

**glodenglowingsnowdemon : I already sent you a PM in response. Might I just thank you once again for reviewing and, worry not, the sequel to What Had To Be Done that you requested will be posted this weekend, next Monday at most.**

 **Happy reading! Don't forget to review, follow and favorite.**

* * *

Don't Deserve You-Plumb

You never give up  
When I'm falling apart  
Your arms are always open wide  
And you're quick to forgive  
When I make a mistake  
You love me in the blink of an eye

I don't deserve your love  
But you give it to me anyway  
Can't get enough  
You're everything I need

* * *

Sting was torn; unsure what the right thing would be. Finding Yukino was his priority, but still, someone was hurting and alone; from what he could hear. Shouldn't he help them first? Then again, would he even manage to do so? He wasn't the best when it came to comforting people.

His decision was made when he realized the person wasn't just crying; they were clearly having a panic attack, judging by the strangled gasps as they attempted to breathe. With quick strides, Sting walked through the foliage until he came out in front of a large Oak Tree.

Below it sat a familiar bluenette. Her eyes were wide open and she was looking down, a terrified expression on her face. Pale hands grabbed at her blue gown and he could hear her desperate whispers clearly now. "No. Please, not him."

Thinking back to everything he knew about her, Sting had a good idea who she was crying about. Anger rose inside him once he recalled the fourth day of the Games and how she openly declared her feelings for Gray Fullbuster, only to have him completely ignore it.

The man didn't deserve to have her crying over him, he thought. Just as he didn't deserve to have Yukino ever cry over him like she had done on that awful night. The understanding of just how much he must have hurt her stabbed at his heart and he swallowed hard; feeling guilty.

"No! Don't take him away!" Juvia's scream made him break out of his frozen position and run to her side. Unsure what to do, Sting settled for kneeling down in front of her before a hesitant hand touched her shoulder.

"Hey, Juvia. It's okay." His words had no effect as she began sobbing even harder, struggling to breathe.

"Please, I can't lose him. Not him!" She was desperate and terrified; that he could tell.

"Snap out of it!" Sting pleaded, starting to get desperate himself.

"Don't leave me." Once he thought through everything he'd heard, he realized that the reason for her panic attack wasn't Gray's rejection, but the fear that he'd leave her?

His eyes widened once he realized that, perhaps, the ice mage had left her indeed. Remembering that one-minute in which he had watched Rogue die in front of him, Sting wondered if perhaps Juvia had gone through something similar.

"Shit!" His face paled once he realized just how much she was clearly hurting. Why the hell was he the one comforting her and not Gray Fullbuster; who had clearly broken her?

No use in wondering that now; he needed to calm her down. After taking a deep breath, he patted her on the shoulder a few times, repeating the words "It's okay" and when that didn't work, he sighed before reluctantly wrapping his arms around her frame.

"It's alright, it's not real." Juvia's eyes shot open and she quickly jerked apart.

"What? Who…who are you?" She blinked, vision still blurred, while trying to catch her breath.

"Relax, I'm just trying to help you." He stood up, putting his hands up in surrender.

"I remember you. From the Games." She whispered after a few moments and Sting nodded.

"Yeah. I remember you too." She stood up, stumbling, and he moved to help her, but she shook her head while leaning against the tree.

"Thank you. I thought the nightmare would never be over." He nodded silently.

"No problem. But you should probably talk to someone about these panic attacks." Judging by the fact no one was there, he assumed she hadn't revealed to her friends about what happened.

"I can't." She sighed. "Gray and I agreed…we agreed not to tell anyone." He raised a brow.

"Seriously? What's that guy's problem?" She was quick to come to her beloved's defense.

"It's not his fault; he just doesn't want everyone else to worry." She smiled sadly. "Besides, I can handle it."

"Yeah, sure. I could see how well you were handling it." Sting scoffed while crossing his arms.

"It's getting better; at least I didn't pass out this time." His eyes widened.

"Damn, woman! You seriously need to talk to someone!" She stared pointedly at him.

"I'm talking to you." He shook his head.

"No, I meant talk to one of your friends. They can help you overcome it, because this is serious." She just looked away.

"I won't do that unless my darling agrees. But he's not talking to me now." She frowned and he once again felt anger.

"Why? Is the bastard mad at you or something?" Sting knew he had said the wrong thing the moment her eyes narrowed.

"Don't call him that." He sighed; she was clearly too in love with Gray to listen to anything bad about him.

"Fine. I just don't get why you keep pursuing him even after he's rejected you so cruelly." Juvia shook her head.

"He wasn't cruel. I deserved it, because I was wrong." He stared at her in surprise and confusion.

"How were you the wrong one? All you did was tell him that you loved him." She sighed.

"He wasn't ready. I knew he wasn't ready, but I did it anyways." Emotions crossed her face. Pain. Regret. Guilt. "I should've waited more, gave him time, but I was too desperate." Her words hit close to home as he thought about his situation with Yukino. What if she wasn't ready?

"Shit! What if you're right?" Could it be that Mirajane, Lucy and Rogue were wrong and he should stay away from her until she was ready to talk to him? Or was he reading too much into Juvia's words?

"What do you mean?" The bluenette fixed him with a curious look.

"Nothing." Sting quickly said, looking away.

"Is this about that celestial wizard? Yukino, was it?" He stared at her, eyes wide.

"How the hell did you know?" There was a knowing smile on her face.

"I saw the way you two looked at each other. I'm an expert when it comes to spotting people in love." He could swear there were hearts in her eyes as she clasped her hands together excitedly.

"Damn, you're good." A surprised look came upon her face.

"I didn't expect you to admit it." Sting shrugged before sitting down, tired of standing, and she did the same.

"I'm done lying to myself. Specially if I plan to confess." She stared at him with interest.

"So you're planning on telling her how you feel?" Once again, there was surprise there.

"Yeah. I'm not sure whether I should do it, though. After what you just said, I thought maybe I should give her time." Juvia nodded.

"Perhaps that's for the best." Then she sighed while leaning against the tree. "If only I had done that, Gray might not be avoiding me now."

"Hey, you can't blame yourself for that. He's the one being a total jerk." He expected her to become angry once again, but instead she cast him a grateful look.

"Thank you. You're being so kind to me; it's unexpected." Sting couldn't help but to laugh at the irony of the situation; remembering when Yukino has spoken these same words.

"You're not the first person to say that." He told her after recomposing himself.

"Well, I can tell that you're trying to change, and I'm glad for that." Juvia told him, smiling sincerely. "Is Yukino the reason for that?" He nodded.

"Yeah, she's the main reason why I decided to try and become a better person. I wanted to make up for hurting her." She nodded, smiling even brighter.

"That makes me so happy!" He stared at her strangely, not used to such cheerfulness. "I will never forget how meeting my beloved Gray pushed me to change my attitude and become a better person. I feel so glad that you're getting that same chance."

It was weird; he thought. They barely knew each other; were acquaintances at most. And yet she was so unbelievably happy to hear that he was turning his life around because of love. Who was this woman?

"Thanks. You're actually kind of cool." Both laughed at this and he he had a feeling she hadn't done so in a while. It made him happy to know that he had managed to bring a positive reaction from her.

"Juvia?" The voice made them immediately stop and her eyes widened once she spotted the familiar figure behind him. Sting turned around and his face paled at the sight of Gray Fullbuster.

It was clear that the guy was mad; his whole demeanor showed it, not to mention how the temperature seemed to have suddenly dropped.

"It's not what you think." The bluenette was quick to say while standing up and taking a few steps towards him, completely ignoring the blonde man.

"What is he doing here?" The ice mage pointed and Sting stood up, facing him.

"I was comforting her; which is what you should be doing, since you're the reason why she was miserable." The former tensed upon hearing this.

"Shut up." Juvia looked between the two men, sensing the tension.

"Okay, I think that you should go now, Sting." The dragon slayer turned to her, concerned.

"Are you sure?" He didn't like the idea of leaving her alone with the man who had broken her heart; no matter how much she loved Gray.

"Yes. I'll be fine." She reassured him and he sighed. "Okay. I guess I'll…see you around."

"Thank you." She said once again and he merely nodded before turning around and walking away, ignoring the other man's glare. "Wait. Are you going to do it?" He was glad she didn't elaborate, the last thing he wanted was for Fullbuster to know the details of their conversation.

"No. Like you said, I'll give it time." Juvia nodded, smiling brightly at him.

"I truly hope everything works out." He returned it and waved before truly walking away. However, for reasons he didn't understand, he kept his ears focused on their conversation; ready to jump back in if necessary.

* * *

"Why was he comforting you?" Gray asked as soon as Sting was gone.

"It was nothing." Juvia quickly shrugged it off, but he didn't believe her. "Just a panic attack." She added once he gave her a disbelieving look.

"What?" His eyes widened. Panic attack? Damn, he knew that she would be traumatized after watching him die, but not this much.

"As I said, it wasn't a big deal. I'm all better now." She reassured him, but he shook his head.

"Of course it's a big deal! Damn it, Juvia, you should have told me!" She stared at him in confusion.

"But we agreed not to talk about it again." He mentally face palmed. What an idiot he had been, how could he have allowed her to suffer like this?

"I'm sorry." She was taken aback.

"What for?" Gray laughed humorlessly.

"Do you really think that I have no reason to apologize? God, Juvia, I don't deserve you." Her heart started beating faster with his last words.

"What do you mean?" He took a few steps towards her, closing the distance between them.

"I was such a jerk; pushing you away even when I knew it was hurting you. I never should've gone through with that stupid plan, but I was so scared." It was the first time since she had met him that he'd ever admitted to being afraid.

"Scared of what?" Juvia asked, confused.

"Of losing you." He admitted at last. "After what happened that night, I haven't been able to get it out of my head. I had nightmares about it every night; only in my dreams I didn't reach you in time." Her eyes widened; she hadn't expected him to also have nightmares about it. "I had no idea you were struggling with it as well."

"Of course I was. You almost died, Juvia. Did you really think that wouldn't have an effect on me?" She stared at him, unsure.

"I didn't know. I'm sorry." Gray laughed once again, shaking his head.

"I'm the one who should be saying sorry. I shouldn't have avoided you, ignored you and stopped you from talking about what happened." He paused, taking a deep breath. "Do you think you can forgive me?" A smile immediately lit her face.

"Of course!" She extended her arms as if to hug him, but changed her mind, letting them fall to her sides.

Gray decided to take charge instead and wrapped an arm around her waist before bringing her close. She gasped in surprise, but soon enough allowed her arms to tighten around his torso, sighing in content while her head rested against his chest.

He held her like he should've so many times before; trying to ignore the feeling of guilt and regret that threatened to resurface.

After his little talk with Ezra he had realized the error in his ways and decided there was no point in pushing Juvia away when all it was doing was hurting them both. So he had come here to apologize; hoping it wasn't too late for him to make amends.

He should've known that it wasn't; that Juvia would always forgive him because she loved him. And Gray hated himself for taking her for granted before; constantly ignoring her feelings because of his inability to reply to them.

Now, however, things were different. If his death experience had taught him anything it's that he couldn't deny anymore that he had fallen in love with her and the last thing he wanted was to lose her.

At first he had thought that the best way to avoid that was to keep his distance, but with a little help from his clever scarlet haired friend, Gray finally realized that the best way to keep her safe was to always be by her side, protecting her. Honestly, he didn't know why he hadn't thought of that before.

It must be because he had been so used to pushing people away that it never occurred to him that letting them in might be a better option.

"I'm sorry." He whispered and the bluenette's arms tightened around him.

"It's okay. I know you didn't mean to hurt me." Juvia knew; she understood him better than anyone.

"I just wanted to keep you safe." She removed her head from his chest and stared up at him.

"How about from now on you do that without pushing me away?" He smiled and nodded.

"Yeah, I can do that." For a moment they were silent until determination crossed his face as Gray decided that he needed to tell her the truth. Even if he couldn't say those three words, he needed to let her know of his feelings. "Juvia."

"Yes?" She looked at him expectantly.

"Never forget how much you mean to me." Once again, she just understood; and her eyes widened.

"Are you sure?" He nodded, already making a decision. Removing his hands from her waist, he brought them up to her face and cupped it.

A bright smile appeared on her face and she wasted no time wrapping her arms around his neck and bringing his head closer. Soon enough, their lips met in a desperate kiss that said everything they needed to know.

From afar, a certain blonde dragon slayer smiled while looking back towards the trees where the couple was. "Good for you; you deserve some happiness." Then his eyes diverted towards the white haired girl in the distance who was currently talking to Lucy. "I just wish I can find it too, someday."

* * *

 **So, what did you think?**

 **Gruvia fans, did you like the ending? I couldn't bring myself to finish this without having them reunite.**

 **As for Stingyu fans, do you think Sting was in character? Sorry they didn't get together here, it didn't feel right. Maybe I'll write a sequel featuring that.**

 **If you'd like that, let me know on your comments.**

 **Have a great day,** **everyone!**


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